There is no place like a climate-resilient home

Dorothy would have sought sturdier foundations for her home if she had known about climate change and the subsequent storm that swept her away to the Land of Oz. As the Earth’s atmosphere adapts to climate change, extreme weather anomalies have become rampant, progressively increasing in frequency, severity and mortality rate, especially for low-income families. According to the World Bank’s Unbreakable report, low-income families are more than twice as likely than others to experience negative consequences of natural disasters and climate change. This is because they reside in particularly vulnerable regions, with subpar building regulations and limited or no access to financing and risk coverage. According to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, by 2030, over three billion people representing 40% of the world’s population will be living in inferior housing throughout the rapidly urbanising globe. Making homes climate resistant and secure may help safeguard people’s lives and livelihoods and create sustainable communities. According to the World Bank’s Lifelines report, the advantage of investing in resilient infrastructure in developing nations is $4.2 trillion over the life span of new infrastructure, or $4 for every $1 spent.